Process of and apparatus for tempering glass sheets



Aug. 21, 1934. B. LONG 1,971,268

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING GLASS SH EETS Filed June 17, 1932 S :0 .00 :iOGOC-OC'OO r 000000000 rq000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 8 q00000000Q g :0000000q0 @0500 0000 F/Gfk. F'IG.5.

3 W0 wvbo'n I Ema/M0 larva Patented Aug. 21, 1934 PROCESS or AND APPARATUS FOR TEM- ranme GLASS smears Bernard Long, Paris, France, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The American Securit Company, a corporation of Delaware Application June 17, 1932, Serial No. 617,891 In France July 24, 1931 6 Claims. (01. 49-45) In my prior U. S. applications, Serial No. 434,263, filed March 8, 1930; and Serial No. 567,286, filed October 6, 1931, I have described a process of tempering glass sheets by projecting jets of air under pressure thereon while the sheet is heated. The present application has for its object to accomplish the tempering by jets of air or another gaseous fluid, produced not by a pressure applied to the air before striking the plate,

1 but by a reduction in air pressure adjacent to the plate, so that the air adjacent to the latter is rapidly removed therefrom. This I accomplish by placing the sheet to be tempered in an enclosure and connecting the enclosure with suitable 16 means for aspirating or withdrawing the air therefrom, the enclosure having ports in its side walls through which external air enters to strike the plate and to produce a surface chilling thereof.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which corresponding parts are designated by corresponding marks of reference,--

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section showing an apparatus embodying my invention and suitable for carrying out the process herein described and claimed.

Figs. 2 and 3 are views similar to Fig. 1, illustrating modifications thereof.

Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations of the device shown in Fig. 2.

In all forms of the invention here disclosed the glass sheet b is hung my suitable tongs 0 within a suitable enclosure a, which may be of sheet iron, and which has generally flat sides which conform with more or less exactness to the shape of the sheet and are parallel to the faces thereof. The tongs are supported by a hanger d carrying a closure plate adapted to seal the otherwise upper open end of the enclosure a. To the base of the enclosure a suitable aspirating pipe is is connected and the side walls g of the enclosure are provided with ports h.

With such a construction, when a sheet I) which has received a proper preliminary heat treatment such as is described in my prior applications is placed within the enclosure and the tongs 0 lowered to close the upper end of the enclosure, air is drawn from the interior of the enclosure through the pipe k to reduce the pressure therein. This air is replaced by air external to the enclosure entering through the ports 71. and striking the sides of the sheet to temper the same. It

has been found that advantages result from the reduction of pressure adjacent the sheet over what happens when the air is blown by superatmospheric pressure against the sheet. It is obvious that the arrangement of the ports h. in the walls g of the enclosure may be selected with a view of obtaining the desired distribution of cooling centers.

In Fig. 2 an arrangement is shown better suited than that of Fig. 1 for sheets of larger size. In this arrangement air eduction pipes 1c and k" are connected with the top of the enclosure so that air is withdrawn from both the top and bottom thereof. Moreover, a slide damper r is arranged adjacent to each side wall of the enclosure and is provided with ports s, (see Figs. 4 and 5) the arrangement of the ports s in the damper being such that in one position of the damper one group of ports g in the side wall of the enclosure is uncovered, while in another position of the damper the other group of ports 9 is uncovered. Thus, by reciprocating the damper two groups of chilling centers are provided, as is described in my previous application, Serial No. 567,286.

In Fig. 3 an arrangement is shown for prechilling the air or another gas admitted through the ports 11.. This is accomplished by constructing chambers 1 upon the outside of the enclosure a. along the side walls thereof and placing in such chambers pipe coils p through which a proper refrigerant may be circulated. Air for chilling is thus admitted into the interior of the enclosure from the chambers l and those chambers are replenished in their air supply through ports n located in their walls m.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. The hereinbefore described process of tempering glass plates which consists in creating air blasts against the plate by a zone of sub-atmospheric pressure surrounding the plate.

2. The hereinbefore described method of tempering glass which comprises creating a zone of sub-atmospheric pressure surrounding the glass and admitting air or another gas under substantially atmospheric pressure to such space through ports opposite to the surface of the plates.

3. In a device for tempering glass sheets, the combination with an enclosure having substantially parallel perforated sides, of means for suspending a glass sheet therein, and means for creating a sub-atmospheric pressure therein.

4. In a device for tempering glass sheets, the combination with an enclosure having parallel side walls with groups of perforations therein, means for suspending a plate within the enclosure, means for withdrawing air from the enclo- 110 sure, and means for alternately opening and closing the several groups of apertures.

5. In a device for tempering glass sheets, the combination with an enclosure having a chilling 5 chamber on each side thereof, separated from the interior of the enclosure by a perforated wall, means for suspending a glass sheet in the enclosure, and means for withdrawing air from the interior o1 the'enclosure.

of the plate.-

BERNARD LONG. 

